


It's Only A Matter of Time

by brooklynapple



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: 2020 Ultra Rarepair Big Bang, Canon Compliant, Eventual Romance, F/F, just two talented women ushering in a new era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:27:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26287987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brooklynapple/pseuds/brooklynapple
Summary: They had so little precious time left to them, and so much they each wanted to accomplish. This is the story of how Edelgard and Lysithea won a war, reshaped a nation, and found each other along the way.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/Lysithea von Ordelia
Comments: 7
Kudos: 60
Collections: 2020 Ultra Rarepair Big Bang





	It's Only A Matter of Time

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the [2020 Ultra Rarepair Big Bang](https://twitter.com/ultrararepairb1), with art by the incredibly talented [Straydot](https://twitter.com/StrayDot)!
> 
> Shout out to [whaleandjanuary](https://archiveofourown.org/users/whaleandjanuary) for beta reading!

Lysitha knows that nights are hardest for some of her new cohort at Garreg Mach. She sees their looks of trepidation as they bid their classmates goodnight and climb the stairs to their rooms. She notices the dark circles under their eyes that only get darker over time. She has heard more than one of them cry out in the middle of the night, no doubt awakened by a nightmare or haunted by some personal ghost that only they can perceive. And she hears them restlessly pass her room on the way down the stairs in the dead of night. 

At least, she hopes whatever passes her bedroom door is a sleepless classmate and not one of the ghosts that she logically knows don’t really exist but childishly persists in being afraid of anyway.

Lysithea sees and knows these things because Lysithea, too, does not sleep. She too has her share of nightmares and horrors in her past, though that isn’t what keeps her up most nights. No, what haunts Lysithea is something far older and simpler - the inexorable passage of time, and the constant, numbing dread of knowing how little is left for her. 

She has so much to learn and accomplish in order to save her family before her time is done. She cannot afford to spend precious hours each night sleeping when she could be putting that time to good use, free from the constant distractions and interruptions that happen during the day.

It is on one of these long nights of study that she is interrupted by a particularly loud cry coming from the hallway outside her room. Normally she only hears footsteps outside her door at night, but this sound is unmistakably a cry of anguish, followed by a choked-back sob.

Equal parts terror and curiosity compel her to crack open her door to see what it is, half a dozen dark magic spells on the tip of her tongue to confront any ghost that dares try to threaten her.

Instead, she sees Edelgard von Hresvelg, the future Emperor of Adrestia, leaning against the wall and trembling violently with her hands covering her mouth. Lysithea steps out into the hallway. She thinks she knows what this is about.

"Edelgard…” she begins softly, not wanting to startle her. 

Edelgard jumps and puts a hand on the wall to steady herself. “Lysithea! My apologies, did I awaken you? I was unable to sleep and thought to go for a walk.”

She had not quite managed to make herself stop trembling. Lysithea hasn’t had much practice at being sympathetic, but she tries her best. “You have them too, don't you? The dreams?"

“I...I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”

“You don’t have to pretend with me. The nightmares come to me quite frequently. I've often wondered if they’re another effect of having a second crest, or just a natural response to the terrible things they did.”

Edelgard opened her mouth, closed it, and took a steadying breath. "I...yes, Lysithea, i sometimes have nightmares. I know it's silly, but sometimes I can't keep them from waking me."

"It's not silly. Not after what they did to us. Do you want some company? I have some cake, and I could make some tea. I was up studying anyway."

“....actually, that sounds very nice. Thank you, Lysithea. I accept your invitation.” 

Edelgard is still a bit unsteady as she enters Lysithea’s room. Lysithea belatedly realizes that she has no tea table or proper seating, only her desk, her desk chair, and her bed. 

“I know it’s a bit informal, but have a seat on the bed. I’ll get the tea ready.”

Edelgard drinks her tea, still looks miserable. She refuses to talk about it. Lysithea finally sits next to her on the bed and gives her a hug. Edegard stiffens.

“My parents used to do this for me on particularly bad nights. I know you’re not a child, but I thought maybe it might help. If I’m overstepping, let me know.”

She is just about to pull away when she feels Edelgard relax into her embrace and snake her arms around Lysithea’s waist. They stay like that for a moment, and Lysithea starts to softly rub Edelgard’s back. 

“This is...nice.” Lysithea doesn’t look at Edelgard, looks anywhere but at Edelgard, but stays nestled against her with her head on Edelgard’s shoulder.

“It is nice, yes.” Edelgard shifts, though not enough to make Lysithea move. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not especially, no.” She wraps her arms a bit tighter around Edelgard’s waist.

“To be honest, neither do I.” It sounds like Edelgard might be smiling, but Lysithea wouldn’t know. That would involve looking at her, which Lysithea is definitely still not doing.

******

“Claude. You’re a hard man to find alone these days.” 

Claude looks up from doing goddess-knows-what with a collection of vials and a tiny cauldron set in the middle of a table in the Golden Deer classroom. Lysithea decides it’s better if she doesn’t know.

“Hey, Lysithea! What brings you to our humble classroom at such a late hour?”

“I’m just going to get to the point so I’m not wasting either of our time. I’ve decided to join the Black Eagles class. It’s not because I’m unhappy with you or the Golden Deer, but I would like to study with Professor Byleth and Edelgard.”

Claude sets his vials down and leans back in his chair thoughtfully.

“I’ve noticed that you and Edelgard have gotten closer lately. I’ll admit, I’m sad to see you go, but I don’t want to keep you from doing what you feel you have to do. Can I ask what the Black Eagles offer that the Deer don’t?”

“I suppose I owe you that much. I suspect you’ve already guessed a bit about my situation. My family was involved in a conflict with the Empire, which led to Imperial mages taking control of my house. They performed experiments on the children of our household, including me. One day I woke up with my hair like this, with all of the pigment gone. The mages ran a test and discovered their experiments had succeeded, and I now had two crests. It also meant that my lifespan was now greatly shortened. I have maybe five years left at most.”

The thoughtful, calculating look in Claude’s eyes is gone, replaced by horror. “Lysithea, I’m so sorry. I suspected you had some magic-related health issue, but I had no idea... you said the Empire did this, though. Are you joining the Black Eagles to get revenge? That could be a dangerous game.”

“No, this isn’t about revenge. You’ve seen Edelgard’s hair, and how she keeps herself covered up at all times. She hasn’t said anything to me directly, but I’m certain the same experiments were done to her, by those same mages.” 

Claude’s eyes narrow, and Lysithea can practically see the wheels turning inside his head. She goes on. “Linhardt is working on a cure. He says he started working on it after hearing my story, but I think he has the same suspicions about Edelgard. Joining the Black Eagles is the best chance I have to beat this and make sure it never happens to anyone else again. I guess in that sense is it about revenge.”

“Lysithea, none of us would want to stand in the way of your finding a cure. If we can help, let us know. We’ll miss having you as one of the Golden Deer, but I wish you the best of luck with the Black Eagles.”

She leaves him sitting in the middle of the classroom, lost in thought. Whatever he thinks he might have gained from their exchange, it isn’t her problem anymore.

******

A few nights later, well past midnight, Lysithea’s studies are interrupted by a knock at the door. After very logically and maturely reminding herself that ghosts are incorporeal and therefore can’t knock, she opens the door. Edegard is standing in the hallway, somehow managing to look both shaken and sheepish. 

Lysithea cuts straight to the point. “More nightmares?” 

Edegard nods. “Would you mind if I came in?”

“Be my guest.” Lysithea opens the door wider and gestures for Edelgard to enter.

Edegard distractedly crosses the room to sit on the bed, wringing her gloved hands in her lap.

“Edelgard--” Lysithea begins.

Edegard cuts her off, almost as though she hadn’t heard her. “I was just a child during House Ordelia’s conflict with the Empire. It was only much later that I learned what happened when we took over your house. Even so, that does not absolve me of my share of the blame for what the Empire did to you.”

Lysithea sits down on the bed and places one hand over Edelgard’s. “Edelgard, you had no way of knowing what happened. It wasn’t your fault. I know that.”

Edelgard stills her hands at Lysithea’s touch and is silent for a moment. Then she takes a deep breath, and continues. “I was taken to Fhirdiad by my uncle right after that, during the Insurrection of the Seven. That much is common knowledge. When we returned to Enbarr, things had changed. My father had largely been stripped of his power by a group of corrupt nobles, and my uncle had joined forces with a mysterious group that had dark, terrible powers.

“At my uncle’s instruction, those dark mages abducted my siblings and I, and my father was powerless to stop them. The next few years were horrifying beyond imagination. I only remember bits and pieces of it, overlaid by neverending pain and the agonized screams of my brothers and sisters. By the end I was the only one left. The mages said I was a success. I had two crests, and one of them was the long-lost Crest of Flames.”

Lysithea squeezes Edelgard’s hand. “Edelgard, I--”

“I’m not telling you this to ask for your sympathy or pity. I know I deserve neither of those. I share this with you now because of one of the things I remember from those horrible years. The mages would frequently say how pleased they were with my progress and that it was ‘going much better than it did with the Ordelia girl.’ That meant almost nothing to me at the time. But tonight I had a nightmare where they said it again, and when I awoke I realized with horror that they had been talking about you.”

The words Lysithea had planned to say die on her lips. She stares at Edelgard, long-suppressed memories flooding back.

It is now Edelgard who takes Lysithea’s hands and sinks to her knees on the floor in front of her.

“Nothing I can say or do will ever make up for what was done to you and your family. All I can offer you is my most sincere, abject apologies, and my vow that I will do everything in my power to make sure it never happens to anyone ever again. I say this not just as the future Emperor, but as the only other living person who truly understands what you went through.”

She bows her head over Lysithea’s lap. Lysithea keeps staring in stunned silence until she sees Edelgard’s shoulders start to shake. 

Lysithea breathes in, slowly. She puts her hands on Edelgard’s shoulders and lowers herself to the floor beside her. And then she wraps her arms tightly around Edelgard and doesn’t let go. She cannot see Edelgard’s face, and Edelgard can’t see the tears streaming down her cheeks, but none of that is important now.

After a few silent minutes she lifts her head and speaks softly over Edelgard’s shoulder. “Whatever you plan to do to stop them, I’m with you. I pledge my magic and whatever support I can get from House Ordelia to your cause, for whatever time I have left.”

“Thank you,” Edelgard whispers. She does not leave Lysithea’s room that night.

******

The next day, Hubert intercepts Lysithea as she’s on her way to the library. 

“Lady Ordelia, may I have a word?” He is already guiding her towards a little-used side corridor before she even has time to reply.

“Hubert. What’s this about? I have a lot to get done today and not a lot of time for distractions.”

“Distractions are precisely why I wanted to speak with you. You are not the only one who cannot afford them. I have observed that you’ve been spending quite a bit of time in the company of Lady Edelgard, at hours that most would consider inappropriate. She will not tell me what the purpose of her visits are, but I am here to inform you that you must discontinue them. Lady Edelgard has a great deal of responsibility on her shoulders as head of the Black Eagle house and heir to the Empire. It would not do to have her distracted by some ill-advised affair, or for her to become the subject of vicious rumors.”

Lysithea feels her face heat, but forces herself to look Hubert in the eye. “Did Edelgard ask you to do this, or are you here of your own accord?”

Hubert draws himself up to his full height and looks down at her menacingly. “I am here out of a grave concern for Lady Edelgard’s welfare. As her retainer, it is my responsibility to take care of problems before she is even aware that they are occurring.”

Unlike many of her fellow students, Lysithea is not intimidated. “So she doesn’t know you’re here talking to me, then. The time she and I spend together is nobody’s business but our own. I’ll stop associating with her if  _ she _ asks me to, not just because you’re acting creepy and threatening about it.” She turns to continue her journey to the library.

“I assure you, Lady Ordelia, that this is just a polite recommendation. If I were truly threatening you, you would know it.” Hubert’s voice is completely calm and his eyes remain unwaveringly fixed on her.

Lysithea turns back around. “I’m glad to hear it, Lord Vestra. Because if you  _ were _ threatening me, only one of us would walk away from that conversation. And it wouldn’t be you. Your magic might be strong, but mine is stronger.”

And with that, she spins on her heel and walks away without looking back.

******

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Lysithea’s voice is raw with hurt and betrayal. “You know I would have supported you! We could have worked together instead of me finding out like  _ this. _ ” 

Lysithea stands outside the walls of Garreg Mach, confronting Edelgard in the midst of her battle preparations. All that she owns has been hastily flung into a bag over her shoulder when she fled the monastery after the Battle at the Holy Tomb, when Edelgard was unmasked as the Flame Emperor and her rebellion against the church revealed. 

“Lysithea, forgive me. No one but Hubert knew. We couldn’t risk anyone exposing our plans too soon. Not even you.”

“Do you know how it felt to stand there like a fool and realize that  _ you _ were the one behind it all? You and those horrible people -- the ones responsible for Remire Village. The ones who killed Captain Jeralt. What were you thinking?”

Edelgard puffs out a small breath; Lysithea can’t tell if it’s in frustration or annoyance or just resignation. Then she turns and beckons to Hubert, lurking in the background as always. 

“Hubert, please start overseeing the battle preparations in my stead. I need a few minutes to take care of an urgent matter.”

Hubert fixes his long stare on Lysithea for the space of three heartbeats. She can practically see the myriad objections forming in his brain. And then, astonishingly, he nods at Edelgard. “As you command, Lady Edelgard.” He turns and briskly walks away to carry out his orders.

Edegard gestures to a mostly-silent corner of her army’s staging area. “Lysithea. This isn’t how I would have wanted to do this. There’s too much to say and not enough time, but can we talk for a few moments?”

Lysithea nods in a manner that she hopes looks righteously angry and not childishly sullen, and follows Edelgard. 

Once they’re safely out of earshot of the rest of the camp, Edelgard begins immediately. “I won’t waste your time or your intelligence with excuses or justifications. You deserve better than that. I know I’ve done some things that are unforgivable. I’m frankly shocked that anyone from Garreg Mach other than Hubert followed me at all, much less all of the Black Eagles and so many students from other houses. It was...entirely unexpected.

“Setting all of that aside, I suspect you’ve probably started to piece together why I did what I did, or you wouldn’t be here at all. You must have heard that my father stepped down and crowned me as the new Emperor. That was the last piece that had to fall in place before I could make my move. As long as my father ruled in Enbarr as a puppet of corrupt nobles and those monsters who tortured us, I was vulnerable. The Empire was vulnerable. They could have forced my father to name a new heir and silently disposed of me. I had to appear as though I was working with them in order to earn their trust, or at least allay their suspicions. Now that I’m Emperor, all of that is done.”

Her eyes flash as she reaches out to take Lysithea’s hand. “I swear to you that I will crush those who destroyed our families and bring a new dawn to Fodlan that is free from the tyranny of nobles and crests. I will fight for this with my whole being, until my dying breath. It is the only purpose in my life. I know that even this won’t atone for the atrocities I committed while working with Those Who Slither, but I hope that those who come after me will understand why I did it and not judge me too harshly.

“I know you may never be able to forgive me. I don’t deserve your allegiance, and I know I’ve ruined any chance we had at...friendship. But I’m asking you to stand with me now so that we can bring an end to this once and for all.”

Lysithea has stood silently throughout this whole speech. She looks down at Edelgard’s hand holding hers. Then she sighs.

“Edelgard. I know all of that already. Save your speeches for the people who need convincing or who can’t add two and two and come up with four. I’m not angry about what you did. I’m angry that you didn’t tell me about it sooner, even though I already pledged my life to your cause. Don’t make that mistake again.”

She gives Edelgard’s hand a squeeze and lets go. “We can talk later when there’s more time. For now, I see you have a large contingent of battle mages and no one truly competent enough to lead them. If you’ll excuse me.”

She gives Edelgard a crisp nod and walks off. Edelgard stares after her, and for a split second the faintest hint of a smile crosses her carefully-schooled expression. 

******

Edelgard knows that the path she must walk to achieve her vision is a long and bloody one. She thinks she is prepared for the sacrifices she has to make until the unthinkable happens - in their moment of triumph after prevailing at Garreg Mach, Rhea transforms into a dragon and the professor is lost. The brilliant lynchpin of their strategy is missing or dead, and Edelgard, who knew this might happen, who thought she had hardened her heart, is achingly bereft and despondent. 

After days of frantic, fruitless searching, she finds herself collapsed over the strategy table in the Cardinals’ Room, too exhausted to pore over the map rolled out before her. She rests her head on her arms and lets fatigue and numbness overtake her desperation. 

She doesn’t know how much time has passed when she detects soft footsteps and hears the rattle of something set beside her on the table. Then a blanket is draped over her shoulders, and Lysithea is quietly murmuring in her ear. 

“How long has it been since you’ve eaten or slept? We’re all searching as hard as we can, but we can’t lose a second leader because she refuses to take care of herself. Eat this, and then let me bring you to your room to get some rest.”

Edelgard lifts her head and finds a bowl of broth and some bread on a tray next to her. It’s been days since she can recall feeling hungry, but suddenly she’s starving. Lysithea waits patiently as she eats. By the time she finishes the food and feels warmth from the soup spreading through her exhausted body, it’s all she can do to keep her eyes open.

Lysithea puts an arm around her shoulders and walks Edelgard to her room. As she turns to leave, Edelgard reaches out for her.

“Please...don’t go. I don’t-- I don’t want to be alone right now.” She wavers on her feet.

Lysithea sits in a chair in the corner and dutifully averts her eyes when Edelgard pulls off her stained, battle-worn uniform and struggles into her nightclothes. When Edelgard collapses into bed, Lysithea crosses the room to sit on the bed’s edge next to her. Slowly, hesitantly, she reaches out and starts stroking Edelgard’s hair.

Edelgard is too tired to tense up under Lysithea’s touch, and too drained and numb to muster objections that she doesn’t really mean anyway. She briefly meets Lysithea’s striking purple eyes, twins of her own, and whispers her thanks before slipping into oblivion.

When Edelgard awakens, she realizes with a start that Lysithea is still there. What’s more, Lysithea must have lay down next to her at some point during the night, and Edelgard discovers with embarrassment that she has snuggled up next to Lysithea with her head on Lysithea’s shoulder. Lysithea is still fast asleep, with one arm around Edelgard’s waist. Edelgard cannot quite suppress the thought that she likes having it there.

******

Lysithea is never far from Edelgard’s side for the next five years. There’s no spoken agreement, but somehow Lysithea is always there, offering support and wise counsel. Even Hubert seems to realize that Edelgard is better off with Lysithea there. They all are.

It is not just in their war councils and the commanding ranks of battle mages where Lysithea’s presence makes a difference. Edelgard no longer wanders the corridors of the monastery late at night to shake off her nightmares - now when she startles awake in her bed, Lysithea is there to hold and comfort her. At first they tell themselves that it’s temporary, just a few clandestine visits to help Edelgard adjust to the shock of losing the professor.

Then one night, snuggled together in Edelgard’s bed, they kiss. It is not a momentous occasion or grand gesture after heartfelt confessions of love. It’s just a small and simple thing, their lips meeting as they hold each other and smile, a quiet confirmation of a truth long-known but never spoken aloud.

The kisses become a regular part of their routine. They still don’t talk about it, but they start spending most nights together and gradually stop making an effort to hide it.

One day, heading from a lengthy war council to the dining hall for a break, Lysithea takes Edelgard’s hand. It is a simple gesture, matter-of-fact and unostentatious like everything Lysithea does, but they are in public and its meaning cannot be mistaken. Edelgard briefly debates letting go and asking Lysithea to keep things private for now. Instead she smiles and laces their fingers together. Lysithea says nothing, but the twinkle in her eyes is the only confirmation Edelgard needs.

******

Five years into a war effort that has been mired in stalemate, the unthinkable happens. The professor, long thought dead despite a body never being found, wanders through the gates of Garreg Mach with no memory of anything since their battle with Rhea. Edelgard can hardly contain her joy and astonishment. 

The professor’s return turns the tide of the war. The Black Eagle forces begin gaining ground, making incursions into Alliance territory. They revel in their success, each victory bringing them closer to achieving Edelgard’s vision, but five long years of war are also beginning to take their toll.

Lysithea has taken to studying long into the night again, poring over battle maps and strategy tomes and thinking and rethinking plans of attack. Edelgard sees the dark circles under her eyes and the thin, purple veins spidering under her pale skin. She tries to encourage Lysithea to get some rest and let others take on more of the burden, but she’s not surprised when Lysithea brushes her off. Even the professor becomes concerned and tries to tell her to take it easy, but Lysithea is as relentless as ever.

Then one day as they are finishing up a strategy meeting, Lysithea stands up from her chair, sways on her feet, and collapses. Edelgard is by her side in an instant to catch her. She declares the strategy meeting finished, and carries Lysithea to her bedroom in her arms.

When Lysithea awakens, Edelgard is there, sitting beside the bed.

“I remember a day like this, more than five years ago. We had just lost the professor, and were running ourselves ragged trying to find her. I was too distraught to eat or sleep or do anything other than search. A very wise person helped me see reason and understand that we all have limits and cannot be effective unless we care for ourselves. I still think about her advice to this day.”

“Edelgard…” Lysithea struggles to sit up in bed. Edelgard gently pushes her back and silences her with a kiss. Her expression turns somber.

“Losing the professor was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to endure. I’ve said I will make any sacrifice to win this war, but I don’t think I could bear the strain of losing you. I would still fight on, because this new world we fight for is bigger than me or you or any one person, but my life would be an empty, hollow shell.”

She puts her hand over Lysithea’s, and continues.

“Your health cannot withstand the strain you’re putting yourself under. Linhardt is working around the clock on a cure for our condition, but you have to hold out until he finds it. If you won’t take care of yourself for your own sake, do it for mine. For the future we might have together.”

Lysithea inhales as though to speak. Several emotions play rapidly across her face. She looks guilty, haunted, and deeply sorrowful, one after the other. She begins to softly speak.

“Edelgard, I...I know. I’m sorry. I know this isn’t how I should take care of myself, and I know it’s not fair to you. Or to-- to us. But we’re making inroads into Alliance territory now, and we’re fighting people who were my friends. I can’t just sit by and watch us kill them without  _ doing _ something. If there’s any way, any gambit or strategy, that lets us defeat the Alliance while avoiding massive bloodshed, I have to find it.”

This isn’t the answer Edelgard expected. She feels chagrined. She squeezes Lysithea’s hand.

“Lysithea, I’m so sorry. I should have realized much sooner that of course fighting the Alliance nobles would be difficult for you. I swear that we will do everything we can to avoid unnecessary bloodshed. Any Alliance nobles who are willing to join us will be welcome, and those who are willing to step aside will be spared. Abolishing the nobility does not mean we have to massacre them.”

“But I need you by my side to make this work. Your presence will help convince the Alliance nobles that there is a place for them in our new world. And beyond that…” She trails off, considering her next words carefully.

“I can’t describe the terror I felt today when I saw you collapse. It was like watching my future vanish before my eyes. Not the future of the war effort, or even the future of Fodlan, but  _ my _ future. The future I want for myself, when this is all over.

“I know we haven’t talked about it...at all really, but when I think of my future, I want you to be in it. I want you to survive. And I realized today that I can’t keep ignoring my feelings or pushing them aside until a more convenient time. That time may never come. So I’m going to say it now, and I hope you’ll forgive me.” She takes a deep breath.

“I love you, Lysithea. And I want you to stay with me. Please.”

Lysithea gives her a soft smile. “Okay.”

Once again, Lysithea has managed to surprise her. “Okay?” Edelgard isn’t even sure what question she’s asking.

“Okay, I’ll stay. Okay, I’ll take better care of myself. And okay, I love you too.” Her smile is broader now, and she radiates a calm joy. “Now let’s finish this war. There’s so much else we have left to do.”

******

Edelgard stands at the head of her army at the gates of Derdriu, wishing it had not come to this. She has given Claude and the other Alliance leaders every opportunity to surrender or to join her cause, and they have opposed her at every turn. Their opposition has not succeeded, and now she is here, about to storm their capital city. 

Lysithea stands at her side, looking troubled. “I wish we could have gotten Claude to see reason,” Lysithea said. “It didn’t have to be like this.”

They have made every possible diplomatic attempt to avoid this conflict, including sending Lysithea to negotiate with Claude as Edelgard’s personal emissary, but now the hour has come. Derdriu must fall. 

Edelgard raises her hand, and the army advances. Lysithea tightens her mouth into a narrow, grim line, and advances with it.

The battle is mercifully short. The Alliance forces give them a bit of trouble at first, especially when wyvern-mounted forces arrive from Almyra, of all places, but the Alliance army is badly outnumbered and outmatched. Even fighting on their home territory, they are soon driven back to the harbor.

As Edelgard closes in on Claude, Lysithea warps from where she has been helping the battle mages clear out the last of the Alliance’s heavily armored units. The ranks of Edelgard’s personal guard know to part for her as she approaches. 

“Your majesty,” she begins, full of formality here in the midst of battle.”This battle is over. We’ve won. You can afford to show mercy. Let Claude and Hilda and the rest of his officers go. Killing them serves no purpose now, and sparing them could prove useful later when we need to govern this territory.”

Her entreaty betrays none of the emotion she displayed with Edelgard in private, just cold calculating reason. Edelgard glances at the professor and then at Hubert, flanking her on either side. Both give her small nods. She turns to Lysithea.

“I’ll see what I can do. They may not be willing to go quietly.”

“Understood. Thank you, your majesty.” Lysithea snaps to attention, salutes, and warps back to her post.

It isn’t until late that night that they are able to speak again. Edelgard has commandeered a townhome that used to belong to a minor Alliance noble as her base of operations in Derdriu, and sits at a mahogany desk in a well-appointed study, reviewing a stack of papers by candlelight. She looks up upon hearing a soft knock at the door. 

“Come in,” she calls. She is not at all surprised to see Lysithea enter the room. Only a few trusted advisors would be allowed past the guards to disturb her, and she has already debriefed the battle with Hubert and the professor.

As always, Lysithea gets right to the point. “You let them live. Thank you.”

“Of course I let them live. You advised me to. I’ve learned to trust your advice.”

“Weren’t you afraid I was letting sentiment for my old friends cloud my judgment? I wasn’t exactly in the soundest state of mind when we last spoke about it.”

“Lysithea.” Edelgard stops her paperwork, stands up from her desk, and crosses the room to stand in front of her. “I trust you implicitly. I know you would only advise me to spare them if you thought mercy was the best course, no matter what your personal feelings might be. And I hope you know by now I’m not a monster. Killing our former classmates brings me no joy.”

“You are many things, but never a monster,” Lysithea says softly. “Nonetheless I want to give you my thanks for sparing Claude and the rest. I still believe it was the right thing to do, but I understand the argument against it as well. It means a lot that you chose my side of things.”

Edelgard puts a hand on Lysithea’s cheek. “Your side is my side. You made that clear long ago. Now get some rest. Tomorrow I want to hear your thoughts on how to govern the Alliance territories now that we’ve secured them.”

******

It is done. Edelgard and the professor have defeated Rhea in her true form, thanks to the might of the Sword of the Creator and the matchless determination of the Black Eagles forces. Faerghus and the church have fallen, though as Edelgard thinks of Dimitri kneeling in the rain, she hopes the price of victory has not been too great. It nearly was, during those few nerve-wracking moments when she thought the professor was lost for the second time. 

But now, as Edelgard holds the professor in her arms, feeling her astonishing heartbeat and staring in awe at her hair and eyes that are no longer Nabatean green, she can accept that they have won. It may not quite feel like the triumphant start of a glorious new dawn, but it does indeed feel like a new beginning.

Looking around at her exhausted, exultant allies, her eyes land on Lysithea, rushing towards her with an expression first of worry and then joy as she sees they are both miraculously, gloriously alive. Their eyes meet, and they share a smile across the smoking ruins of the battlefield, knowing that the end has come at last.

The following days and weeks are a blur. The war has left a trail of devastation in its wake, and all of her advisors agree that rebuilding Fodlan must begin with seeing to the security and safety of its people. It is here that Lysithea’s long evenings spent studying statecraft prove invaluable. She proposes innovative, unconventional ideas as she debates with Hubert and Ferdinand in council meetings about what their new government should look like, refusing to be bound by outdated noble traditions. She argues in favor of class reforms that put more power and governing authority in the hands of the common people, backed by sound reasoning and logic. 

The Adrestian nobles on the council think her ideas are preposterous at first. Then Edelgard gives her leave to test them in Ordelia territory, where they are wildly successful. Ordelian Councils begin to spring up in territories across Fodlan, ushering in a new, more egalitarian era of governance for their fledgling nation.

******

Late one night a few weeks after Rhea’s defeat, there is a brisk knock on Edelgard’s door. Edelgard and Lysithea are still awake and working, as has been their wont since the end of the war. Hubert, who had quietly disappeared a week earlier on a mysterious assignment, slips into the room dressed in riding attire. 

“Your majesty. Lady Ordelia. Pardon the lateness of the hour. I return with urgent news. Our suspicions were correct. Those Who Slither in the Dark are still very much a threat; their power did not fade with Rhea’s death. We have long known that they were behind many of the atrocities in Fodlan’s recent history, and until we root them out they are the gravest threat to our new nation.

“I have made some inquiries and investigations, and believe I have discovered where their stronghold lies. It is a place called Shambhala which lies on the border of Hyrm and Goneril territories. We must seek them there if we wish to defeat them once and for all.” 

Edelgard looks grim. “Thank you, Hubert. You’ve done a service to all Fodlan in obtaining this information, and it is especially meaningful to those like Lysithea and I who suffered at the hands of those monsters. I task you with personally overseeing the effort to destroy Those Who Slither. Take as many of the elite Black Eagles Strike Force fighters as you need.”

“It will be done, your majesty. I will deliver regular updates to the two of you myself, since I know how deeply invested you are in eradicating this menace.”

“About that.” Lysithea cuts in. “If you’re taking the fight to Those Who Slither, I’m definitely coming with you. I’ve waited my entire life for a chance to make them pay for what they did.”

Hubert arches one black eyebrow at her. “Are you sure that’s wise, Lady Ordelia? Your skill as a battle mage is well known, but one might argue that you are far too valuable to the rebuilding effort to risk on a mission such as this.”

“Under other circumstances I would agree with Hubert,” said Edelgard, rising to put a hand on Lysithea’s shoulder. “But I know how much this means to you. To us both. I would go myself if I could, but as Emperor it would be foolish to risk myself in such an unknown and dangerous situation.”   
  


Lysithea lays her hand atop Edelgard’s. “I’ll get revenge for both of us,” she says fiercely. “And for all of our family members who should still be here today.”

“Thank you both. There’s no one I would trust more with this mission than the two of you.” Edelgard’s voice brims with emotion.

“If that is decided,” said Hubert, “then let me inform you that we will be meeting tomorrow morning to immediately begin planning our strategy. I look forward to having you join us, Lady Ordelia.”

“The pleasure is all mine. And you can call me Lysithea, you know. I have a feeling we’ll be working closely together for quite a while.”

Hubert shifts and clears his throat. “Now that you mention it, there is a more...delicate matter that I’ve been meaning to raise. With the progress Linhardt has made in his crest research, it is likely that you both have much longer lives ahead of you than you may have anticipated. We would all like nothing more than for your majesty’s reign to be a long and prosperous one. 

“Given these circumstances, the future of the royal family is on many of our minds. It is no secret that the two of you enjoy a very close relationship. If your intent is to rule together, it may be appropriate to consider a more official status for Lady Ordelia.”

Edelgard’s brow furrows. “Are you implying that I should give her a title? She already stands to inherit House Ordelia, and sits on the council as a High Councillor. What more official status could I grant?”

Lysithea puts a hand on her arm. “Edelgard, I believe he’s talking about an official status for our personal relationship.” Edelgard looks at her blankly. Lysithea sighs. “He’s hinting that we should marry, or at least give me the title of official consort.” Her cheeks turn slightly pink.

Edelgard’s cheeks turn a matching hue. “Oh. I see. This is...not entirely unexpected, but something that we haven’t had a chance to discuss yet. Clearly.”

“Nor do you need to make a decision about it tonight, your majesty.” Hubert gracefully interjects. “I merely wanted to raise the matter as something meriting your attention sometime soon. And with that I will take my leave, given the late hour. Your majesty. Lady Ordelia.” 

He bows, and Lysithea sighs. “Goodnight, Hubert. You really can call me Lysithea.”

“Noted.” Hubert exits as silently as he arrived, leaving Edelgard and Lysithea glancing bashfully at each other. 

“So…” Lysithea begins.

“So.” Edelgard says at the same time. They both laugh.

“I have of course given this some amount of thought,” Edelgard continues. “An Emperor cannot simply leave these sorts of matters to chance. It was my intention to ask you what you want, when things had settled down just a bit. But now you’re going to go fight Those Who Slither, and as much as it pains me to think about it there’s a chance that you might not return. So we should talk about this now.”

She takes a deep breath, and plunges on. “I’ve always said that I plan to abdicate once the country is stable and our new system is in place. I don’t know how long that will take, or how long you planned to devote your life to building our new country, now that you know you have a life left to devote. But I would love nothing more than to have you by my side for every moment of life that we both have left. If-if that’s something you want too.”

Lysithea smiles, and takes both of Edelgard’s hands. “Edelgard. Remember what you said to me those months ago after Derdriu? Your side is my side. I pledged myself to you long ago, and I have no intention of ever breaking that pledge. Not when we’ve come so far, and accomplished so much together. I’m yours. You know that.” 

Edelgard can barely see Lysithea through the joyful tears in her eyes. “Lysithea, that means more to me than I can say. Truly, you’ve made me the happiest and luckiest woman in all of Fodlan. I hope you know I’m yours as well. From now on, we walk this path together.”

She leans in to give Lysithea a tender kiss. When they part, there is a mischievous glint in her eyes. “I do have to warn you, though. If you think it’s difficult getting Hubert to call you by your name now, it will be next to impossible once you become Empress.”

_ "For her counsel in instituting class reforms and ensuring the independence of the people, Lysithea came to be known as the Wisdom of the Empire. The pair of talented women ushered Fodlan into a new age of innovation and prosperity." _

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, the title is a Hamilton reference. Well done to those who caught it! I love Edelgard and Lysithea’s paired ending so much and hope I can write more of them someday.
> 
> You can also find me on Twitter where I go by [quorniya](https://twitter.com/quorniya)!


End file.
